While it's well known that bacteria can harm us, it is also a documented fact that specific species of bacteria are essential to maintaining and restoring health. The most important protection is maintaining an intestinal ecosystem with plenty of health-enhancing bacteria from probiotics. Remember, probiotic means "for, or in support of, life;" these little organisms are your body's arsenal of defense, naturally.

The Role of Bacteria in the Intestinal Tract

In order for our GI tract to protect us from health-depleting organisms, it must ideally contain approximately 85% health-enhancing (good) bacteria, and 15% health-depleting (bad). There are three types of bacteria in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract:

1. Beneficial (friendly, health-enhancing)
2. Pathogenic (hostile, health-depleting)
3. Neutral

During times of illness, antibiotic use, over-use of antibacterial soaps, or excessive stress, the percentages are reversed, making us vulnerable to disease. Probiotics are essential to a wide range of bodily functions including the following, but not limited to:

• Support of white blood cells to fight disease
• Control of putrefactive bacteria in the intestines
• Enhancement of blood structure by providing essential nutrients
• Assists digestion by making it readily available for absorption
• Manufactures vitamin "B's" including abundant B-12
• Reestablishing intestinal terrain "killed off" by chlorinated water
• Manufacture natural antibiotics, like acidophilin produced by acidophilus - effective against many types of bacteria, including Streptococcus and Staph
• Lessening of intestinal stress from food poisoning while also aiding overall digestion
• Improving peristalsis and helps normalize bowel transit time
• Assists in normalizing cholesterol levels, according to studies showing regular use of lactobacillus bacteria

How to re-populate your Immune Village with heath-promoting good bacteria:

The secret is to take probiotics on a regular basis, not only when illness is tapping you on the shoulder. The following is how and when I use and recommend supplementation with probiotics:

• When traveling - take a non-refrigerated probiotic for 24 hours before air travel to protect against all the re-circulating air in the aircraft full of germs and chemicals. If traveling outside the US, continue this amount daily for at least 7 days after your return.
• At the first sign of food-poisoning, spoiled food, or gastrointestinal upset, take a high potency refrigerated probiotic and repeat every hour until symptoms subside. You may then continue a high potency formula for at least 14 days to repopulate health-enhancing bacteria and provide long-term benefits.
• After taking antibiotics, take probiotics for twice the length of time as the initial therapy. I have found that the minimum amount for effectiveness to replenish the good bacteria should be 24-30 billion per day.
• At the first sign of cold, flu or illness of any kind, I take 24-30 billion twice a day and continue until all symptoms are gone.
• Daily as a proactive measure for good health I take at least 5 billion and alternate monthly between 3 probiotics so that you repopulate with a variety of blends and strains to keep the body from becoming complacent about repopulation. A good probiotic to use alone or in rotation, as in this example, is one fermented in natural goat-milk.

My Favorite Probiotics for Summer Use and While Traveling Include:

Note: Both of the following products are non-dairy.

1. FloraStor™ -- A probiotic that does not require refrigeration (just keep cool and out of direct sun or heat) and is the only one I’ve found that has been tested to survive when consumed right along with antibiotics. To order FloraStor click here.
2. Ultra Flora IB™ -- “The big guns of probiotics” packs a whopping 60 Billion microorganisms into each capsule. Must be refrigerated but worth taking when you’re out of the country or know you’ll be in a potentially germ-laden environment (tropical, hot, humid, or camping). I pack one capsule for every day away from home in my carry-on luggage and keep them refrigerated or cool in my hotel. To order Ultra Flora IB click here.

There are many other extremely effective probiotic blends that I use and recommend. The ones mentioned above are simply the ones I have found most effective for travel and incidents of acute water and food borne illnesses. For specifics about other probiotics I use and recommend click here.